RAHM: BENNETT'S COMMENTS "REFLECT A SPIRIT OF HATE"

Your Chicago Sun-Times reports that Democrats -- black, white and other -- are calling for former Education Secretary William Bennett apologize for remarks on his radio program linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies.

On his radio program, Bennet said:

I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down

Bennett says that his point was that morality alone -- not economics or social science -- should decide the issue of abortion.

But Dems seem to think that Bennett's hypothetical crime-reduction-through-black-genocide plan calls for some kind of apology.

[Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)] said he was "appalled by Mr. Bennett's remarks" and called on him "to issue an immediate apology not only to African Americans but to the nation."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said in a statement, "At the very time our country yearns for national unity in the wake of hurricane Katrina, these comments reflect a spirit of hate and division."

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) joined in the criticism.

"Not only is his bigotry a disgrace, I am appalled that he is using his radio platform to malign African Americans, which an impressionable listener could mistake for truth," he said in a statement.

Vegas odds-makers say the smart money is on Bennett not issuing an apology.